No 26 of 2007 - Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007
What does this law do?
This Act amends the Child Care Act 1991 as well as making amendments to the Children Act 2001. Its principal purpose is to provide that a foster parent or a relative who has had a child in his/her care for a continuous period of five years, the child having been placed with that person by the Health Service Executive, may apply for a court order for increased autonomy in relation to the care of the child. It also enables regulations to be made which will allow school age childcare services to be brought within the 1991 Act on the same basis as pre-school child care services thus enabling providers of school age childcare services to avail of a VAT exemption as currently is the case for providers of pre-school child care services.
The Act also changes the name of the Special Residential Services Board to the Children Acts Advisory Board and broadens the functions of the Board to become an enhanced advisory and enabling body whose functions will include providing advice to the Ministers for Health and Children and Justice, Equality and Law Reform on policy issues relating to the co-ordinated delivery of services under the Acts of 1991 and 2001. It alsoamends family welfare conferences arising in the context of juvenile justice cases under the Children Act 2001 to ensure that they are used appropriately.
Contact Department:
Department of Health and Children
Signed by the President on:
8 May 2007
Full details of this Act can be found on the Oireachtas website.